If you need emergency dental services, your dentist should be your first call. But what if you encounter an issue on a holiday, weekend, or in the middle of the night? Suppose you’re dealing with a severe dental problem outside regular office hours. In that case, you need an emergency dentist. Sometimes you may even need an emergency room visit.
Consider the following issues:
- How to Identify Dental Emergencies
- When You Can Wait for a Dentist
- Common Dental Emergencies
- How to Avoid Potential Emergencies
When you have a dental emergency, call Dr. Bao at (951) 412-0127.
You should understand the difference between a common dental issue and an emergency. Regular dental problems can wait until morning. Emergencies are defined by issues that can cost you a tooth. Here’s how to recognize a dental emergency.
When do you Need Emergency Dental Services?
The American Family Physician says that 22% of people have had dental or oral pain in the last six months. Dental emergencies are pervasive.
Still, not every dental situation can be seen as an emergency. To identify a dental emergency, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have severe pain? Severe bleeding and pain are signs of an emergency.
- Have you lost a tooth? Immediate treatment is critical to saving a tooth.
- Do you have a loose tooth? Adults should never lose a tooth. Losing a tooth for adults is a severe dental issue.
- Do you have an infection? Abscess teeth with an infection can be life-threatening. When you recognize an abscess, you cannot wait for treatment. You can recognize an abscess by looking for swelling around your mouth.
- A good sign of an emergency is bleeding from the mouth.
Any dental issue needing treatment to stop bleeding, ease severe pain, or save a tooth is an emergency. Severe infections are life-threatening and must be treated as emergencies.
For all of these symptoms, you may be experiencing an emergency. Call your dentist immediately. When your dentist’s office is not open, call a dentist listed in Google as an emergency dentist.
When You Can Wait for a Dentist
You don’t have an emergency if the problem can wait until your dentist is open. Some people consider all dental problems emergencies. When you can make a deal with the problem for a few days, then you don’t have an emergency.
For example, cracked or chipped teeth are emergencies if they are very painful. If the chip left sharp fragments that cause trauma inside your mouth is an emergency. When a chipped tooth is not painful, you can wait.
If you have lost a crown or filling, you can likely wait a few days to see your dentist. You can put sugar-free gum into the cavity after losing a filling. For lost crowns, you can try putting the crown back in place temporarily. Denture adhesive or over-the-counter dental cement helps. Do not use super glue to attach crowns as that treatment can be permanent.
Need help financing your emergency dentist visit? Click to learn more and call for an appointment today! (844) 8‑SMILE‑NOW
Common Dental Emergencies
Here are some ideas to deal with typical dental problems. These are temporary solutions.
Knocked-Out Tooth
According to the American Association of Endodontists, take quick action. A dentist might be able to preserve and reinsert your tooth if it has been protected.
First, pick up the tooth by the top of the crown. Be careful not to touch the root. Then rinse the tooth without scrubbing it. When possible, place the tooth back into the socket. An alternative is to place the tooth in a container of milk. Get the tooth to the dentist quickly to improve the chances of saving your tooth.
Cracked or Chipped Tooth
For severe or painful tooth fractures, clean your mouth with warm water. Next, apply a cold compress on your face. Take acetaminophen for the pain. Avoid using painkillers or numbing gel as that can damage your gums.
Abscessed Tooth
Dental abscesses are severe and potentially life-threatening. These infections are a pocket of pus in the tooth that leads to infection. A tooth abscess may cause fever and tooth sensitivity to hot and cold. They also cause toothache, tender lymph nodes in your neck, and swelling in the face.
An abscess is an emergency. The infection can spread into your jaw. Worse, it can move to the surrounding tissue and to other areas of the body. Before you go to your dentist, rinse your mouth with mild saltwater several times. This will reduce the pain and bring the pus to the surface. Promenade Dental care has emergency endodontics near me for any need.
How to Avoid Potential Emergencies
To avoid dental emergencies, stay proactive with your oral hygiene. Schedule regular dental checkups. During a visit with your dentist, they will look for loose fillings and crowns. They will also look for signs of decay, infection, and gum disease. When you have a tooth extracted, make sure to carefully follow aftercare instructions. Your dentist’s advice is to help you avoid health risks, like dry sockets or infection.